Engine-starter



v. BENDlX.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED DEC-19.1917

1,330,834. Patented Feb.17,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I Ink/6722 07" I fly Patented Feb. 17,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mm Q.

,frzz/cvzi o' 9 JMM WLSSGS VINCENT BEN DIX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

v ENGINE-STARTER.

To all whom z'tmay concern: 3

Be it known that I, VINCENT Bnnnixya citizen 'of the United States,residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is aspecification.

My inventionrelates to the drive or transmission portion of startingapparatus for the starting of engines, more particularly internalcombustion engines, andthe general object thereof is to provide simple,efficient and reliable transmission mechanism of this character of novelconstruction and operation in the respects hereinafter made apparentfrom the description.

My drive or transmission is of that type exemplified by patentsheretofore issued to me such as Patent No. 1,125,935, dated January 26,1915, which type is characterized by a motor driven member, such as ascrew shaft, on which is mounted a driven mem ber such as a pinionadapted to mesh with apart of the engine to be started and capable oflongitudinal movement with respect to the screw shaft and ofrotary'movement therewith. My invention pertains more particularly tothe construction and operation of a screw member which is mounted on thescrew shaft and of which the pinion proper forms a part. My inventionalso relates to novel driving means interposed between amotor drivendriving shaft and the screw shaft.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a startingapparatus illustrating a-drive or transmission embodying my invention;Figs. 2, 3 and 4 sections on correspondingly numbered section lines ofFi 1 and Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of a modified form of drive; Itwill be understood that my drive or transmission may be operateddirectly or indirectly by the prime mover, which is herein in the formof an electric motor, and while in the present instance I have shown thesame as driven directly by a driving shaft, such as the extendedarmature shaft of the motor, it will be understood that my invention isnot limited to such construction.

Referring to the particular embodiment of my invention as herein shownin Figs. 1 to 4, the driving shaft '1 is the extended armature shaft andis therefore directdriven by the motor. It is journaled at itsSpecification of Letters Patent.

ng "splined or keyed to the sleeve by means of Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Application riled December 19, 1917. Serial No. 207,842

Outer end in the bearing 2 of the inclosing cas1ng2 secured to the motorframe.

Upon the driving shaft is mounted the screw shaft 3 which is here ascrew sleeve having the external screw threads 3*. This screw shaft isoperatively connected with 1 by a driving connection,

the driving shaft here shown in the form of a friction clutch. Thisclutch consists of the drum or Y 4 having a hub portion 4 fitting uponan secured to the driving shaft by means of a key 5. Withim this casingis arranged a' series of fixed and movable friction plates 6 and 7respectively, the former being secured to the casing and being heldfixedly as respects longitudinal movement by means the driving shaft 1through said clutch, including the casing 4 and multiple disks 6 and 7.At the outer end of the screw shaft is formed or secured a stop nut orcollar 11 against which the screw member abuts and is stopped thereby ashereinafter explained.

- The screw member is formed in two main parts, one a screw sleeve12-internally screw threaded and mounted upon the screw threads of theshaft 3 and adapted to move longitudinallylthereof and rotarilythereoFFIoE.

casing with and the other the driving member or pinion proper. .Thisscrew sleeve is screw threaded for only a portion of the length of itsbore, the remaining or smooth portion extending over the smooth or plainportion of the screw shaft beyond the screw threaded portion thereof. Atits inner end this sleeve is provided with a weighted disk 13 secured toor formed asa part thereof and adapted to assure the Ion itudinalmovement of the screw member when the screw shaft is r'o tated. i I

Upon the'screw-sleeve is mounted the drivmember or pinion 14, the samebeing the longitudinal key 15 so that the pinion will be rotatedpositivel thereby and therewith (being non-rotari y connectedthereeration with) and also be capable of longitudinal movement withrespect thereto. This pinion is held in a normal outward positionagainst the flange 12 with a yielding pressure as by means of a coiledspring 16 interposed between the inner end of the pinion and aprojection at the end of the screw sleeve, which projection is here theweighted disk itself.

Describing the operation of my device and beginning the description of acycle of opt ereof with the parts in their nor mal or home positionshown in Fig. 1, when the electric motor is operated the driving shaft 1will be rotated and the screw shaft 3 will likewise be rotatedthroughthe clutch vhereinbefore explained. Thereupon abuts andis stoppedby the nut 11 it will.

partake of the rotary movement of the screw shaft and the fly-wheel willtherefore be rotated. When the engine starts on its own power the screwmember will be automatically demeshed and returned to normal position. 1

In the event that the teeth of the pinion and of the fly wheel are notin register and the teeth shall thereupon abut end to end, the pinionwill be momentarily stopped but the sleeve will continue to moveoutwardly against the yielding pressure afforded by the spring 16. Theresult will be a slight rotation of the screw member, whereupon theteeth will be brought into register and the proper meshing obtained.According to this construction the shock or jar occasioned by theabutting of the teeth end to end willbe very slight inasmuch as only asmall and light portion (that is the light pinion) of the entire screwmember will be brought into contact with the fly-wheel or have anythingto do with the impact and the slight impact itself will be occasioned orrelieved by the spring 16.

In Fig. 5 I have'shown a modified form of construction in which thecorresponding parts are given thesame reference characters. Thisconstruction is the same as that already described with the exceptionthat a yielding driving connection consisting of a coiled spring isemployed in place of the friction clutch illustrated in Fig. 1.According to this construction the driven shaft 1 is operativelyconnected to the screw shaft by means of the coiled spring 18 whose endsare anchored to the driving shaft 1 and to the sleeve shaft 3 by thebolts or studs 19 and 20 respectively. In this construction the spring18 acts as a yielding driving connection and also stores up energyimparted vice formed of two parts, one a member mounted on the shaft forrotary movement therewith and longitudinalmovement thereof, and theother a driving member mounted on the other member non-rotarily thereoffor positive driving therefrom and in unison therewith andfor slidingmovement longitudinally thereof.

2. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable-screw shaft, andan operating device formed of two parts, one a sleeve screwthreaded onthe shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movementthereof, and the other a pinion mounted on the sleeve non-rotarilythereof for positive driving therefrom and in unison therewith and forsliding movement longitudinally thereof.

3. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, arotatable screw shaft rotated thereby and having a rotary movementindependent thereof, and an operating device formed of two parts, one asleeve screw-threaded on the screw shaft for rotary movement therewithand longitudinal movement thereof, and the other a pinion mounted on thesleeve-non-rotarily thereof for positive driving therefrom and in unisontherewith.

4:. A drive for engine starters comprising amotor driven shaft, arotatable screw shaft a motor driven shaft, a hollowscrew sha t Imounted theron and. capable of rotary movement therewith and rotarymovement independent thereof, a screw device mounted on the screw shaftfor positive rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movementthereof, said device being formed in two parts, one a control memberscrew threaded on the screw shaft and the other a driving member mountedto slide longitudinally on the control member and also mountednonrotarily thereon for positive rotary movement therewith.

6. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, a hollowscrew shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movement therewith androtary movement independent thereof, a screw device mounted on the screwshaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof,said device being formed in two parts, one a control member screwthreaded on the screw shaft and the other a driving member mounted toslide longitudinally on the control member and also mounted non-rotarilythereon for positive rotary movement therewith, and yielding meansresisting said longitudinal sliding movement of the driving member.

7. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, a hollowscrew shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movement therewith androtary movement mounted thereon and capable of rotary movement therewithand rotary movement independent thereof, a screw device mounted on thescrew shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movementthereof, said device being formed in two parts, one a screw threadedsleeve threaded on the screw shaft and the other a pinion mounted on thesleeve non-rotarily thereof for positive driving in unison therewith andfor longitudinal sliding movement thereof.

9. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, a hollowscrew shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movement therewith androtary movement independent thereof, a screw device mounted on the screwshaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof,said device being formed in two parts, one a screw threaded sleevethreaded on the screw shaft and the other a pinion -mounted non-rotarilyon the sleeve by keyment independent thereof, a screw device I mountedon the screw shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinalmovement thereof, said device being formed in two parts, one a screwthreaded sleeve threaded on the screw shaft and the other a pinionmounted non-rotarily on the sleeve by keying thereto for positivedriving in unison therewith and for longitudinal sliding movementthereof, and a spring resisting said longitudinal sliding movement.

11. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, ahollow screw shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movementtherewith and rotary movement independent thereof, a screw devicemounted on the screw shaft for rotary movement therewith andlongitudinal movement thereof, said device being formed in two parts,one a screw threaded sleeve threaded on the screw shaft and the other apinion mounted non-rotarily on the sleeve by keying thereto for positivedriving in unison therewith and for longitudinal sliding movement.thereof, said sleeve having at one end a disk, and a spring interposedbetween the disk and the pinion for resisting the longitudinal movementof the latter.

12. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, ahollow screw shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movementtherewith and rotary movement independent thereof, a screw devicemounted on the screw shaft for 'rotary movement therewith and'longitudinal movement thereof, said device being formed in two parts,one a control member screw threaded on the screw shaft and the other adriving member mounted to slide longitudinally on the control member andalso mounted non-rotarily thereon for ositive rotary movementtherewith,and a yielding driving -connection located in the train ofmechanism between the motor and the driving member.

13. A drive for engine starters comprising a motor driven shaft, ahollow screw shaft mounted thereon and capable of rotary movementtherewith and rotary movement independent thereof, a screw devicemounted on 'the screw shaft for rotary movement there-.

with and longitudinal movement thereof, said device being formed in twoparts, one a control member screw threaded on the screw shaft and theother a driving member mounted to slide longitudinally on the controlmember and also mounted non-rotarily thereon for positive rotarymovement therewith, and a yielding driving connection betweensaidmotor-driven'shaft and the hollow'screw shaft.

VINCENT BENDIX.

